Pushkar dam in the early evening

Leaving Artiya was really hard.  Because of all the activity of the wedding, I really hadn’t spent much time with my Kiddo and decided that I would return to the village on 24^th.  With a heavy heart I said goodbye and headed off with Vikram and his family to Pushkar.  True to Indian time, I didn’t go directly to Pushkar but stopped off at Asha’s village to meet her family and have tea.  I got to Pushkar in the very late afternoon – far later than expected – and met up with Himmat who had been kicking his heels waiting for me since early that morning.

I mentioned Himmat at the beginning of my story but would like to add a bit more now.  I "met" him on Facebook as well, and had been chatting to him for about 2 years before this trip.  I was initially a bit hesitant when he said he would arrange part of my trip, but soon relaxed and let him carry on.  Another leap of faith that led to an extraordinary adventure......

After booking in to the hotel and freshening up, we went out to explore a bit and have some dinner.  We landed up at the dam which, in the early evening, is a magnet for tourists.  It is so relaxing as long as you avoid the rip-off artists who perform “blessings ceremonies” at an exorbitant rate.  I am embarrassed to say I didn’t……enough said.  NOT a good start to the tour at all.  I did however, learn something more about Himmat after this event, which was rather cute really – he doesn’t take kindly to being ripped-off.  He was so angry, and from that moment on took over money matters.

We had dinner at a really nice restaurant and decided to call it a night.  I must say that walking through the city at night is such a great experience and one I hadn’t had before.

Taking break to have Lassi

I had told Himmat that there were 2 things I insisted on each day – (1) The all-important coffee and (2) Lassi.  I had watched Rick Stein’s “in search of the perfect curry” show and decided to follow his advice on how NOT to get Delhi belly – drink Lassi every day.  This then was how we started the day.  Being with Himmat made all the difference, because he took me to stalls I would never have recognised as being sellers of chai/coffee/lassi.  Naturally they cost so much less than restaurants and I got to sit at the side of the road and watch the world go by.

I was in Pushkar so Rose oil was on my list of “got to get some”.  We found a shop/stall (not sure what to call them really), and the fun began.  There were so many different oils to choose from and I loved the whole process of first selecting what I wanted, and then watching as the vendor decanted the oils into little bottles – I felt as I so often have in India, like I had gone back centuries in time.  Needless to say, I smell bloody great every day.

Walking along the streets in Pushkar gives me the feeling a child must have when they are taken into Hamleys toy store or a shop filled with sweets.  Excitement overload!!!!  There are so many beautiful things everywhere.  I think Himmat had a silent panic attack when he saw my eyes light up at everything they saw (laughing at the memory).  We found ourselves back at the dam which is a completely different experience during the day.  It is incredible to stand next to the animals and birds who are so tame and everything is so chilled.

We found ourselves at the edge of the city and in the midst of Camels and their riders.  Himmat asked if I would like to have a ride and naturally I said yes.  This time round I rode in a carriage and felt a bit like a Maharani.  It was loads of fun and, once again, I did not find sitting behind a Camel stinky at all – I only say this because I have been asked this question in the past :-)

Seeing rows and rows of Rose bushes in the middle of the desert always blows my mind and their smell is heavenly.

When our ride was over, more shopping was in order, under the strict supervision of Himmat.  I bought a few more bags – I am NUTS about Indian bags.  I also bought some blingy fabric….OH MY SOUL – I AM IN MY ELEMENT!!!!!

Somewhere between all this we had pizza (yes, pizza) for lunch at a lovely restaurant overlooking the dam.  The weather was really hot so getting out of the sun into a cool place and sipping on the most delicious iced tea EVER was pure heaven – I know, I’ve said heavenly/heaven twice now, but if it is, it is.

When the shopping had been dropped off at the hotel, it was time to go out again.  We walked back to the dam and soaked up the atmosphere as the sun went down.  The crowd that gathers there are 99% tourists.  Something else I learned about Himmat very early on is that he loves chatting to people and he grabs every opportunity that presents itself to strike up a conversation.  I enjoyed just listening so we got on well.  People play games and show off their skill twirling what looked like pieces of quilted fabric, and rope with lights at the end (I say rope, but they are more likely made from plastic/rubber).

I have to say that the sight of Rastafarians got to me eventually, and I was very happy to come face to face with a well-dressed gentleman.  Yes, I’m strange, but there were way too many unwashed people with dreadlocks hanging about in Pushkar.  Apparently they stay for 3 to 4 months at a time, so to call them tourists is a bit of a stretch.

Anyway, this day was almost at an end, just dinner, a cup of chai from a vendor who had a table outside the hotel, and then to bed.  Tomorrow I would have my first train trip in India from Pushkar to Jaipur.